Bloom

34 | life was great

Giselle "G" Rowe
Saturday, April 8 | 2:34 p.m.
The Jones' residence

-

The ice cold water stings my hand as I dip it into the large cooler to retrieve two sodas. It's a stark contrast to the scorching sun rays biting my face and the back of my neck. I shake the excess liquid off of my skin before hurriedly retreating into the shade and handing June the Sprite. He cracks it open loudly, washing down the half-eaten plate of dry rub ribs, baked beans, and potato salad.

"I can't even lie, you did yo' thang fasho." He sighs, setting the can on the ground. In a rare occurrence, I drove my car and the foldable lawn chairs that I keep in my trunk came in handy.

"Mhmm." Nadirah hums, taking another bite into her burnt hotdog.

"I told y'all that I perfected this shit." Mack chuckles, swatting away flies with a dark blue hand towel before laying it back down on his shoulder. "Aye, y'all quit runnin' so close to this grill! I ain't gon' say it no mo'."

The children momentarily halt their step before racing in the opposite direction with Kyler as the ringleader. Tyreek and Vanessa's backyard is very boisterous this afternoon as their first cookout as hosts kicks into full swing. Music pours from the large speakers outside, smoke billows in the air due to the barbecued meat, and excited laughter from older adults erupts over the numerous card games at the round patio table.

"That's all you gon' eat?" June eyes my empty plate suspiciously. I chose to not to load it up, taking barley a scoop of a select few dishes. I throw a greasy napkin on top before the entire thing is folded into the trash can.

"Yeah. I got a bathing suit to wear in a couple of weeks." I shrug, unable to hide my giddy smile. "You want me to need two seats on the plane like Sheila, huh?"

"Cut it out." He laughs, shaking his head. "You act like you can't just tailor it to be bigger. You already makin' yo' own shit."

"That's not the point."

"Ooo, let me see what you got so far!" Nadi leans closer and I unlock my phone. I scroll through the multitude of photos dedicated to my works in progress, zooming in on the colorful bikini top that is nearly completed. They're all going to be rather traditional pieces since my mind still hasn't conjured up anything groundbreaking.

"It looks so good." She beams, looking pointedly at Mack who's in deep conversation with Dex. "I can't wait til it's my turn."

The stomping of bare feet in the grass alerts me to the mob of youngsters rapidly approaching. They've already rounded the house at least five times by now and their clothes bare the evidence of their previous wrestling matches in the dirt.

"Uncle June," Kyler whines, gripping his knees to catch his breath. "You said that we would fill up the water balloons in a minute and it's been more than a minute."

June throws his hands up in surrender and rises to his feet to dispose of his trash. "Okay, okay. I'm finna go get 'em right now."

"Winnie, stay. Stay." I command, straightening the bottom of my shorts when I stand. She cocks her head to the side and her tail swipes back and forth, but ultimately she remains nestled underneath my seat. "Good girl."

I follow June and he sucks his teeth when I tap his ass on my way into the house, failing to pull me back in time. The AC is a welcomed substitute to the gnat infested heat of the outdoors and I relax substantially as I head towards the bathroom. Just as June is about to bend the corner behind me, one of Tyreek's great uncles call him over with his eyeglasses propped on top of his bald head.